


I Wear Your Love Like A Title

by queenofchildren



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Clarke makes a stand - Freeform, F/M, Friendship, Pre-Romance, and apologizes for 'it's worth the risk' - Freeform, because I need them to be okay - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-30
Updated: 2015-01-30
Packaged: 2018-03-09 17:47:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3258803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queenofchildren/pseuds/queenofchildren
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The war with Mount Weather is over, the captives have been rescued, and Arkers and Grounders must figure out a way to find lasting peace. To finalize a union with the Sky People, Lexa asks one more thing of Clarke. </p><p>Bellamy learns two important things that day: where Clarke draws the line, and where he ranks in the new hierarchy on the ground.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Wear Your Love Like A Title

**Author's Note:**

> With the direction the show is taking (I'm so scared of next week, Oh God that promo!), I needed the following things to happen:  
> 1) Bellamy makes it out of Mount Weather relatively well, recovers and goes right back to being by Clarke's side.  
> 2) Clarke apologizes for the way she sent him off and tells him what he means to her.  
> 3) Everyone lives happily ever after.  
> Is that too much to ask for, show? Is it?

_I need you so, I need you so, I need you so I will stay._

_Yes I will be standing right where you left me_

_Until you look my way._

 

If there's one thing Bellamy didn't miss during their first few weeks on earth, it was the Ark's obsession with hierarchies. Chancellor, Councillor, Station Representative. And on the Guard: Major, Commander, Lieutenant, Guardsman, Cadet. Chains of command all the way from the chancellor's quarters to the people shovelling fertilizer on Aggro. Naturally, everyone with a title proclaimed it proudly, but the most Bellamy ever amounted to was guard cadet, and he knows what his mother did to get him there. And for those brief few weeks on earth where he was at the top of the ladder, the self-appointed leader of a hundred teenage lab rats, he didn't have the time to come up with a title for the job, and neither did Clarke. They didn't even properly call themselves their leaders – they just led.

But now that the Ark is down here, the higher-ups are trying to establish order along the chains of command, except now half the rungs on the ladder are empty and it takes ages to figure out who is responsible for what and who answers to whom. At least they have the highest position more than covered, with not just one but three chancellors, Bellamy thinks wryly.

Then again, they all know who the real leader of the Sky People is, whose name the title gets attached to, and that is Clarke. Lexa is the one who starts calling her Clarke of the Sky People (which has a certain ring to it, Bellamy thinks), and he figures that means the grounder leader at least considers Clarke her equal. Lexa's formal address has stuck with the grounders and gone a long way towards showing the Arkers that the girl they locked up for treason may be their only chance at making it through this alive. 

Sometimes Bellamy wonders if that means he's out of the picture, since no one seems to know or care that Clarke didn't lead the 100 alone. He certainly didn't get a fancy title, he's not Bellamy of the Sky People all of a sudden, not that he even wants to be. Not for all the food and guns on earth would he want to be in Clarke's shoes, pay the price she's paid so she could finally start negotiationg a peace for her people. But sometimes he's worried that one of these days Lexa's meeting tent will be so filled with dignitaries that there's no room anymore for simple Bellamy Blake, brother of Octavia, who-the-hell-knows of Clarke. Without a title and a function, Bellamy has no official reason to be there other than that he knows he needs to be, needs to stand behind Clarke and make sure she doesn't collapse under the weight of her responsibility. So far, he suspects, the only reason he's still even allowed past Lexa's guards is because Clarke seems to accept that he's taken to being her shadow wherever she goes.

For a few days after they made it back from Mount Weather, he wasn't sure if that was going to be an option at all, or if Clarke was still on her masochistic quest to push everyone away to stop being weak, as she told him when she sent him to Mount Weather. He's not angry about that anymore, never really was for more than a second. Getting someone inside was the only option they had, and he knows, rationally, that her harsh words were only due to her grief, a desperate attempt to protect herself from fear and anger and more loss. But it was nonetheless a relief when he joined her by the gate to go meet Lexa the first day they let him out of medical and she didn't send him away. He hasn't left her side since.

And if he still had any doubts about her loyalty or his place next to Clarke, those are erased the day they learn about yet another grounder tradition. They have just successfully completed two weeks' negotiations, painstakingly working out conditions each party could agree to, when Lexa nods with a satisfied expression.

“It looks like we can have our partnership. Now the only thing left to do is exchange Generals.“

Clarke nods in agreement, before backtracking. “Wait, exchange what?“

“Generals. First Generals, to be exact. As a show of faith, my most important warrior will stay by your side, and yours will come and live with us.“

Beside Lexa, Indra's frown deepens, but for once, the belligerent warrior stays silent.

“But... I don't even have a First General.“

Bellamy wonders if Clarke can even be said to have generals. Sure, there are people she convenes with – himself, Lincoln and Octavia, her mother and Kane as the Ark's elected representatives, Raven, Sinclair and Wick if technical matters are concerned. None except maybe Kane would be considered something akin to a general by Sky People standards, but then again, most of the old system is in the process of being tossed aside anyway.

Lexa looks slightly baffled by Clarke's statement.

“Of course you do.“

Clarke looks at Bellamy with a confused expression, but he can only shrug. He has no idea where this is headed – until he looks up and sees every grounder in the room looking at him. Unsure what to do now, he looks to Clarke, and by the way her eyes have gone wide he can see she understood what Lexa means. He should have seen it coming, really. His function has never been named in Sky People terms, but he never leaves Clarke's side. So far, he just assumed they thought he was her personal guard.

“Bellamy?“

Lexa nods. “He seems to be a capable warrior who has won your trust, and he was essential in our taking of Mount Weather. We will accept him in our midst.“

Bellamy has to admit, it is more than a little flattering to be called a 'capable warrior' by the leader of an actual warrior tribe. Clarke, on the other hand, looks anything but pleased.

“Absolutely not.“

Several people around the table utter noises of shock, not all of them grounders. Out of the corner of his eye, Bellamy sees Abby lean in to her daughter, addressing her in a low voice, but Clarke lifts her hand imperiously and the room falls silent.

“We have fulfilled the terms of the treaty, we've done our part in freeing our people from Mount Weather, and we will welcome your healers to exchange medical knowledge. But that is it. I am not giving up my First General.“

“It is our custom.“

“But not ours.“

“You should make it yours if you want a union with my people.“

“I want a union with your people, but I will not bow to your every whim to get it. I've given you enough. This is where I draw the line.“

Bellamy has to remind himself to keep breathing in and out because he can't believe what he's hearing. _He_ is where she draws the line? Sure, she told him that she needed him once, but that was ages ago, and she didn't exactly have a lot of allies back then. Now she has the whole council at her back and every Ark resource at her disposal. Not to mention her words when she sent him into Mount Weather, her determination to push people away. There's no trace left now of the girl who shut herself off in her grief and fear. This is the old Clarke again, the one who landed on earth with a smile and a command on her lips at the same time, who proclaimed that every life mattered and tried so hard to make that true. And this isn't just an idea in the abstract, this is her fighting tooth and nail to keep him by her side when he wasn't even sure if she wanted him there.

Sure, this could all be just a power play to show Lexa things have changed: They've given Finn's life in recompense for his crimes, they've proven themselves strong allies in the attack on Mount Weather, and that means they are no longer the weaker party. They can make their own terms instead of just begging for their lives, and this could just be the moment Clarke chooses to make a point of it. Nonetheless, Bellamy can tell that she's getting ready to dig her heels in on this issue, her back straight, her eyes blazing, and power play or not, it feels amazing that this is for _him_.

Clarke and Lexa are still staring at each other silently, locked in a battle of wills, when a voice cuts through the breathless silence in the tent.

“Would it have to be her _First_ General?”

Lexa's eyes break away from Clarke's to land on Kane, who explains from his place on Abby's other side: “She has other Generals who could come. It might not be the exact same thing, but it might be … compromise.”

Kane emphasizes the last word and smiles as if he was referring to a joke only he and Lexa understand. Miraculously, it works. Lexa's expression changes the slightest bit, indicating that she's open to hearing more about the idea.

“Who do you have in mind?”

“I would volunteer, if Clarke allows it.” Bellamy has to admit, Kane is doing a great job at this whole diplomacy thing. Under his veneer of smiling humility, Bellamy suspects he'll fight over every inch of ground even in his compromises.

Clarke's expression is impassive as she looks at Kane, but next to her, Abby looks tense, and Bellamy really hopes she's not going to protest against the idea, because then they'll be arguing in circles about this for days to come.

Then Clarke nods, Lexa nods back, and just like that, the tension that has built up in the room is released.

Bellamy watches in silence as they tighten up the details of the exchange, and if he feels a little bad for Kane, it is only until he notices that Kane looks actually excited to go. Kane was the one always going on about learning more about the grounders' ways, he's probably happy to get the chance. And he won't need Octavia to spy for him if he's right in Lexa's inner circle either – not that there ever was a chance of Octavia turning spy for the Arkers in the first place.

For once, Bellamy realizes as he exits the stuffy tent and breathes in the fresh evening air, everything worked out for the best. Kane gets his crash course in grounder lifestyle, Lexa gets her representative of the sky people, Clarke gets to win a battle of wits against the grounder commander, and Bellamy gets a title. But that title, as impressive as it may sound, is nowhere near as satisfying as the knowledge that Clarke still needs him.

 

 

_I do not tolerate a world emptied of you. I have tried._

 

As always, Lexa wants to talk to her in private after the meeting, and by the time Clarke emerges from the tent, everyone has scattered except for Bellamy, who is patiently waiting outside. She acknowledges him with a silent nod and he falls into step beside her naturally. Instead of heading back to Camp Jaha, however, she makes a turn for the woods. She's not ready to face anyone else yet. She feels drawn and exhausted as if she'd just fought a bloody battle instead of squabbling over details of a peace treaty. But then, there was much at stake, she thinks with a sideways glance at her silent companion. Ever since she's had to get by without Bellamy, she has noticed how natural and reassuring it is to have him walking by her, his long legs easily keeping up with her energetic strides so she never has to stop for him.

She stops now as they reach the edge of the forest, sinking down on a fallen tree trunk. He sits beside her without waiting for an invitation, still silent though she expects him to have quite a lot to say about what just happened. For now, he only looks at her, and his intense gaze, so heavy she can practically feel it on her skin, is another thing she missed when he was gone.  

“Clarke, that was a risky stunt you pulled in there. If Lexa had insisted on her initial proposal...“

“I still wouldn't have given you up.“

“At the risk of ruining our entire union with Lexa's people? Come on, Princess, I know you're more than able to handle things here without me.“

She shakes her head, fighting back tears and trying to steady her voice. It only occurs to her now how close she just came to losing him again. “I've sent you away before, and it was a mistake. I won't make that mistake twice.“

“I hardly think anything would happen to me at the grounders' now. Our peace with the Tri Kru is secure, isn't it?”

“For now maybe, but what if the union fails? What if they decide they need to find out more about us, about our strategies and weaknesses? They'll have you right on hand to kill and torture. This exchange isn't just a sign of good faith, it also gives them a hostage for leverage.”

What she doesn't tell him is that she suspects Lexa didn't choose Bellamy only based on his achievements against Mount Weather, not that those aren't impressive. But Clarke has also stupidly let Lexa know how much she cares about the friend who is now, apparently, her First General. She's been so insistent in her trust in him, so obviously worried when they didn't hear back from him and Lincoln, so visibly relieved when they found him alive at Mount Weather. When she pulled him out of that cage, weak and bruised and haunted, Clarke couldn't have held back her tears if she tried, and she knows Lexa saw them, knows what they mean. And while she doesn't think Lexa would replicate the cruelty that cost her lover's life, Clarke isn't willing to bet Bellamy's life on finding out.

“Besides, Octavia would kill me if I went through with it.”

He chuckles, and she could just take that chance to let the conversation move into lighter, safer territory. Go back to matters of strategy and leadership, to the parts they're comfortable with rather than continue to be so gut-wrenchingly honest. But he deserves better.

“Either way, I don't want you in danger unless absolutely necessary.“ He looks like he's about to protest or, worse, bring up her send-off on his last mission, so she quickly continues: “It's not worth the risk. You're too important... to everyone.“ She could leave it at that, but that would be a cop-out, so she draws a deep breath and continues. “You're too important to me.”

Clarke is already annoyed by how feeble her voice sounds, how hot her cheeks suddenly feel. She hates making herself so vulnerable, but she still hasn't apologized for her callous words when she sent him to Mount Weather, and she hopes he understands that this is what she's doing now. She forces herself to lift her eyes from her hands to look at him, waiting for his reaction.

His expression is unreadable, but there's a softness to his eyes that lets her know her apology is accepted.

“I'll be right here as long as you need me.”

"I know." And after a moment, because she has resolved to tell him she appreciates him more often: "Thank you."

They sit in silence on that tree trunk until dusk turns into night, the stars above them doing their best to outshine the grounder fires and the spotlights of Camp Jaha. She knows they'll have to head back there soon, or someone will worry that the grounders have abducted their leader and start another war. But for just a little while longer, Clarke leans into Bellamy's warmth and lets the darkness of the forest hide them from this chaotic, bloody, beautiful world. 

 

 

_If you tell me what to do_

_I'll move mountains, show it through_

_If you let me I'll turn on the light_

_Show you all I see in you is right_

 

Bellamy keeps his promise and stays by Clarke's side through decades of shared leadership. He remains her right-hand man, personal guard and First General through two wars and several skirmishes with other grounder tribes. Along the way, he picks up other titles; he's put in charge of training the new recruits for the Ark guard and then made Captain of the Guard at Camp Jaha. More importantly, he becomes an uncle, a husband (although Clarke prefers the grounder term houmon), a father, a grandfather.

And while everyone else still scrambles for titles, their growing knowledge of grounder culture inspiring new positions like Generals and Seconds, Clarke remains simply 'Clarke of the Sky People'. She refuses to let her people address her by anything other than her name, with one exception of course: Bellamy still calls her Princess.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I read about the grounder term “houmon” on the 100writers tumblr, in a post by David J. Peterson who developed Trigedaslang. Their name for a life partner, rather than wife or husband, is “houmon”, literally “home one”, and I love this idea so much. 
> 
> Quotes are from Seinabo Sey's song “You” and from Catheryne M. Valente. (I need to dial it down with the quoting.)


End file.
